Draught excluder



Aug. 18, 1964 H. B. NIELSEN I DRAUGHT EXCLUDER Filed May 14, 1962 INVENTOR HELMER B. NIELSEN 4. ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,144,688 DRAUGHT EXCLUDER Helmer B. Nielsen, Pembroke, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Eddy Match Company Limited, Pembroke, Dntario, Canada Filed May 14-, 1962, Ser. No. 194,533 9 Ciaims. (Cl. 2tl52) The present invention relates to sashless windows and more particularly to an automatic device for excluding or minimizing draught leakage past the slidable pane of a sashless window.

The problem of draught leakage associated with the upper part of sashless windows has always been serious and numerous attempts to solve this problem have met wit-h varying degrees of success. Manually operated devices can be provided to hold the lower part of the slidable pane against inward movement but the inconvenience of such devices at the top of the window precludes their use there and demands the use of automatic devices instead. The automatic device most commonly used up to now to reduce draught leakage has been a simple plastic button or the like pushed against the upper part of the slidable window pane by a spring or a pair of springs acting on the back of the button. This, however, although it helps to some extent, is not really very satisfactory since, if the springs were made strong enough to resist a strong wind blowing against the window, the friction between the button and the window would render opening of the window difiicult. The problem is thus still very much alive, so much so in fact that sashless windows cannot satisfy the draught-excluding standards of various regions. I believe, however, that I have now invented a device which will minimize leakage to such an extent that the most rigorous standards can be met, my device, nevertheless, being simple in construction and extremely easy to install on existing sashless windows.

The basic principle underlying my invention resides in mounting fixed abutment means on the frame of a sashless window at the overlap between the fixed and slidable panes and providing a movable member or block which engages between the slidable pane and the abutment means in the closed position of the window to resist positively and non-resiliently any tendency towards inward movement of the slidable pane, the problem of friction between the block and the slidable pane when the latter is being opened being overcome by having the block initially movable with the opening pane, a lip on the block being disposed in the path of the slidable pane for that purpose and resilient means being connected to the block to effect a return movement thereof when the window is again closed.

The simplicity and effectiveness of a device according to my invention will be at once apparent to those skilled in the art and it will also be apparent that my invention can be utilized both at the top and at the bottom of the window to hold the slidable pane rigidly against the fixed pane. As an added refinement, a device according to my invention intended for use at the bottom of the window may incorporate manually operated means for releasably locking the block against movement with the slidable pane, thus, of course, locking the window in closed position. Such device may also incorporate a quick release feature whereby the bulk of the device maybe readily detached from the window frame, leaving only a relatively fiat plate and thus facilitating removal and replacement of the window panes.

Two embodiments of my invention will now be de scribed, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a device according to one "ice embodiment of my invention for use at the top of a sashless window;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a cut-away portion of the bottom of a sashless window, showing a device according to another embodiment in operative position;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective View of the device shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional plan view of the device shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, illustrating alternative positions of the movable block; and

FIGURE 5 is a section on the line XX of FIGURE 2.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the presently preferred embodiment of my invention for mounting at the top of a sashless window to prevent draught leakage thereat comprises a housing 1 having a bottom plate 2, a front plate 3, a side plate 4 and two upstanding socket members 5 and 6 for receiving suitable screws whereby the housing may be secured to the top member of a sashless window frame at the overlap between the fixed pane 7 and slidable pane 8. Upstanding from the bottom plate 2 are three pins 9, 10 and 11.

A movable member or block 12 of rigid synthetic plastic material is mounted on pins 9 and 10 by means of slots 13 and 14, respectively, and a spring 15 is stretched between block 12 and pin 11, urging the block into the position shown in FIGURE 1. In this position, which is automatically adopted when the window is closed, a rounded protuberance 16 on the block 12 engages the inner face of slidable pane 8 and holds this pane tightly against fixed pane 7. It will be noted that from the point of engagement of protuberance 16 with pane 8 a line taken normal to pane 8 passes through or just to the right of the centre of pin 9. Such line, of course, represents any force exerted by pane 8 on the block 12 and it will be apparent that such force is rigidly resisted by pin 9, aided if necessary by pin 10. It will be noted that of the surface defining slot 13, the portion 17 which engages pin 9 in the position illustrated is substantially parallel to the slidable pane 8. This ensures that the block 12 will not be moved to the left and inwards even by a strong wind blowing directly on pane 8. Such movement would, of course, defeat the purpose of my invention and might occur if the portion 17 were inclined to pane 8 as the corresponding portion of slot 14 is.

A lip 18 is provided on the block 12 to overlap the side edge of the pane 8 when the window is closed, as shown. In addition, the block is recessed at 19, slot 13 is curved and slot 14 is straight. All of these features play a part in the automatic operation of the device. Thus, as the slidable pane 8 is moved to open position, i.e. to the left in FIGURE 1, it engages lip 18 and pushes the block to the left also, disengaging surface portion 17 from pin 9 and bringingthe adjacent curved surface portion 20 into contact therewith, the spring 15 swinging the block in a counterclockwise direction about pin 9 as fulcrum. The rate of swing of the block 12 is controlled by the cooperation of pin 10 with the inner portion 21 of the surface defining slot 14, these remaining in contact at all times. Of course, if slot 14 were parallel with pane 8 it would not permit swinging movement of the block and therefore it must be angled as shown. Recess 19 permits the block to swing as it moves to the left, despite course, the system must not reach equilibrium since the block 12 would not then return automatically to the position shown when the window is closed and this automatic return i essential. In the return movement, surface portion acts as a guide to ensure proper eventual engagement of surface portion 17 and pin 9.

To facilitate removal of the slidable pane from the window frame for cleaning or replacement by a new pane, the block may be manually swung inwardly away from the window until equilibrium is reached and passed, when the block will be locked against socket 5 and completely out of contact with the pane 8. Of course, when the cleaned pane or a new pane is inserted the block will be swung in again manually and will again be ready to function automatically. To assist in locking the block in its innermost position the end of slot 13 remote from surface portion 17 may be formed as shown to form a seat for pin 9 at right angles to surface portion 17.

It is believed that the construction and operation of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1 will be abundantly clear from the above description and accordingly I shall now proceed with a description of the embodiment shown in FIGURES 2 through 5, this embodiment utilizing the same basic principle utilized in the first embodiment but also incorporating some added refinements.

As clearly shown in FIGURE 3, the device comprises a base plate 22 on which may be detachably mounted a housing 23 (shown inverted) carrying the operating parts of the device. The base plate has holes 24 adapted to pass screws whereby the plate may be secured to the bottom member 25 (FIGURE 2) of a sashless window. A fixed tongue 26 on the housing is engageable in a slot 27 in a flange 28 on the base plate and a movable tongue 29 on the housing is engageable in a recess 30 in the base plate and slidable under an upwardly bent portion 31 to lock the housing on the base plate. To assist in mounting the housing on the base plate and to give the assembly lateral stability, two recesses 32, 33 are provided in the housing, engageable over two upstanding flanges 34, 35, respectively, on the base plate. The movable tongue 29 extends from a slidable plate 36 which has a finger tab 37 extending through an elongated slot 38 in the front of the housing (FIGURE 2). Thus, the housing can be removed from base plate 22 very simply, by moving finger tab 37 to the left, lifting the front of the housing and pulling it inwards. It may be replaced just as simply, by inserting tongue 26 in slot 27, pushing down the front of the housing and moving finger tab 37 to the right. When the housing is removed, of course, it facilitates the removal of the pane 8 from the window frame in the usual manner, i.e. by lifting the pane until its lower edge can be swung inwards over the frame member 25.

The movable member or block 39 is similar to block 12 apart from the fact that it has a step 40 engageable by a step 41 on a catch member 42 to prevent lateral movement of the block, thus locking the window in closed position. The catch member 42 is shaped like a womans high-heeled shoe, having a sole part 43 and a heel part 44, and it is pivotally mounted on a pin 47, one of a series of pins 45, 46, 47, 48 symmetrically arranged in housing 23. A trip member 49 is slidable in the housing 23 to engage either part 43 or part 44 to engage or disengage, respectively, catch member 42 and block 39. The trip member 49 extends through a slot in the top of housing 23 and has an enlarged head 50 for manual operation of the window locking mechanism.

The symmetrical structure of housing 23 and the symmetrical arrangement of the pins 4548, in combination with a special spring anchoring member 51, renders the operative parts of the device mounted on said pins reversible, whereby the device can be used in any sashless Window, whether the slidable pane closes to the left of the fixed pane or to the right thereof, as shown in FIG- URE 2. The member 51 has an eyelet 52 whereby it may be seated on pin 45 or 48. It also has two arms 53, 54, extending at right angles, which engage vertical walls 55, 56, respectively, or 57, 58, respectively, of the housing 23 to prevent pivotal movement of the member about said pin 45 or 48. Spring 59 is anchored to a web 60 on the member 51 and to the inner corner of the block 39 as shown. Thus, referring to FIGURE 4, block 39, catch 42 and anchor 51 may be removed from pins 45-48, turned end over end and placed back on the pins in reversed position, whereby the block 39 will be in the position shown in dotted lines at the right of FIGURE 4.

It will be manifest that various modifications may be envisaged without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the slots could be formed in the housing and the pins mounted on the block. In fact, slots and pins need not be used at all. The basic concept remains that of having a movable block resiliently urged into a position engaging between a fixed abutment and a slidable window pane to prevent inward movement of the latter while being releasable from said position in response to sliding movement of the window pane.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A draught excluder device for windows, comprising abutment means adapted to be fixedly mounted on a window frame, a movable block, means for resiliently urging said block into a position in engagement between said abutment means and a slidable window pane to prevent inward movement of said pane, and a lip on said movable block adapted to lie in the path of said slidable pane when the latter is being opened, thereby automatically to release said block from said position in opposition to said resilient means and to allow said resilient means to return said block to said position when the window is closed.

2. A draught excluder device for mounting on the frame of a sashless window having overlapping fixed and slidable panes, to minimize draught leakage past the slidable pane when the window is closed, said device comprising a support member adapted to be fixedly mounted on the window frame at the overlap between the fixed and slidable panes, a movable member having a windowengaging portion adapted to engage the inner face of the slidable pane at least when the window is closed, resilient means urging the movable member to windowengaging position, a lip on the movable member engageable by the sliding pane when the window is being opened, to move the movable member in opposition to said resilient means, guide means for controlling the path of movement of said movable member, and interengaging means on said support member and said movable member adapted, in the closed position of the window, to hold said window-engaging portion of said movable member positively and non-resiliently against the face of the slidable pane.

3. A draught excluder device according to claim 2, wherein said interengaging means on said support member and said movable member comprise a surface on one of said members which extends substantially parallel to the slidable pane when the window is in closed position and a projection on the other of said members extending parallel to and in contact with said surface when the window is closed.

4. A draught excluder device according to claim 3, wherein said guide means comprises a guide portion on said one member terminating in said surface and engageable by said projection when the window is being closed to guide the movable member and ensure the eventual interengagement of said surface and said projection.

5. A draught excluder device for mounting on a sashless window assemblyhaving a fixed pane and a slidable pane, to minimize draught leakage past the slidable window pane when the latter is in closed position, said device comprising a support housing adapted to be mounted on the window frame at the overlap between the fixed and 3,1 44,ess

slidable panes, a movable window-engaging member mounted in said support housing, a projection within said support housing, resilient means urging said movable member to window-engaging position in engagement with said projection, an abutment surface on said movable member adapted, in the closed position of the Window, to extend between said projection and the slidable pane and substantially parallel to the slidable pane and to engage said projection so that the movable member acts as a positive, non-resilient lock against inward movement of the slidable pane, and a lip on said movable member adapted to lie in the path of movement of the slidable pane when the latter is moved from closed to open position.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said housing is adapted to be detachably mounted on a plate, said plate having an upstanding slotted flange at its rear edge and a cut-out adjacent a raised portion at its front edge, said housing having a fixed tongue engageable in the slot in said flange and having a slidable tongue engageable in said cut-out and slidable under said raised portion, a finger tab on the outside of the housing being connected with said slidable tongue for manual operation thereof.

7. A device according to claim 5, wherein a manually operable catch member is provided which is engageable with said window-engaging member to prevent movement of said window-engaging member from said windowengaging position, whereby the window may be locked.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein an anchoring member is provided for said resilient means, said housing is symmetrical and said movable member, said catch member and said anchoring member are mounted on a symmetrical arrangement of pins in said housing, whereby they may be removed from said pins, turned end over end and replaced on the pins in reversed operative positions.

9. A device according to claim 5, wherein the movable window-engaging member is swung inwardly automatically by the slidable pane in opening, to a position in which equilibrium is approached but the member still exerts some pressure on the pane to ensure automatic return of the member to its initial position when the Window is closed, and wherein the said member may be swung further inwardly by hand to a position in which equilibrium is at least reached to prevent automatic return of the member and the member is completely out of contact with the slidable pane.

Sisson May 14, 1957 Gangl July 15, 1958 

1. A DRAUGHT EXCLUDER DEVICE FOR WINDOWS, COMPRISING ABUTMENT MEANS ADAPTED TO BE FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON A WINDOW FRAME, A MOVABLE BLOCK, MEANS FOR RESILIENTLY URGING SAID BLOCK INTO A POSITION IN ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN SAID ABUTMENT MEANS AND A SLIDABLE WINDOW PANE TO PREVENT INWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID PANE, AND A LIP ON SAID MOVABLE BLOCK ADAPTED TO LIE IN THE PATH OF SAID SLIDABLE PANE WHEN THE LATTER IS BEING OPENED, THEREBY AUTOMATICALLY TO RELEASE SAID BLOCK FROM SAID POSITION IN OPPOSITION TO SAID RESILIENT MEANS AND TO ALLOW SAID RESILIENT MEANS TO RETURN SAID BLOCK TO SAID POSITION WHEN THE WINDOW IS CLOSED. 